Parentage: ‘KP02’ is a seedling selection of unknown parentage which resulted from an open-pollination and seedling selection process carried out by the inventor at a commercial breeding facility in Clarendon, NSW, Australia. In 2010 and 2011, a number of Anigozanthos hybrid cultivars and a proprietary breeding line developed and owned by the same inventor, the seed parent, were grown in close proximity to one another in order to encourage open cross pollination. Cultivars included Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Amber Velvet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,999), Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Gold Velvet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,178), ‘Regal Velvet’ (not patented), and Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Ruby Velvet’ (not patented). In 2011, seeds were collected from the proprietary breeding line and germinated. The resulting seedlings were grown to maturity for further observation and, after the first flowering, a small number of plants were observed to exhibit a more compact growth habit and a greater number of inflorescences by comparison with the seed parent and each of the possible pollen parent cultivars. One progeny in particular was selected for commercialization in November of 2012 due to its narrow foliage, compact growth habit and an abundance of inflorescences bearing golden yellow flowers. This new and distinctive cultivar was given the name ‘KP02’.
Asexual Reproduction: ‘KP02’ was first asexually propagated in November of 2012 by rhizome division in Clarendon, NSW, Australia and has since been asexually reproduced by meristematic tissue culture propagation. The distinctive characteristics of the inventive ‘KP02’ variety have proven to be stable through five generations and clones so produced maintain the distinguishing characteristics of the original plant.